Reusable container for carrying items

ABSTRACT

A container includes a body with a parallelepiped-shaped interior, a closed bottom, and an open top defining a periphery. A flaccid hood is attached to the periphery and can be pulled out of the interior and pushed into the interior. The hood defines a top opening through which items can be placed into the interior, and a drawstring can be cinched to close the top opening. The body can include an inside liner and an outer shell, with the inside liner being made of thermally insulative material. Corner pocket assemblies can be attached to the body at each interior corner of the interior and can be moved to be either flush against the interior walls of the body or extended to form parallelepiped-shaped pockets with the adjoining walls of the body.

FIELD

The present application relates generally to multi-use carrier containers that can be used to transport beverage containers and food.

BACKGROUND

It is often desired to transport and carry a variety of items such as grocery items, personal items, and the like. With paper and plastic bag use being limited by law in certain jurisdictions, people must typically employ re-usable containers for such purposes. As understood herein, the need for re-usable containers gives rise to the opportunity to tailor such containers to provide for more effective use and greater convenience than afforded by conventional plastic and paper bags.

SUMMARY

An apparatus includes a body configurable to form a parallelepiped-shaped interior. The body has a closed bottom and an open top, and the open top defines a periphery.

A flaccid hood is attached to the periphery of the open top and is extendable beyond the open top. The flaccid hood is also pushable into the interior such that the flaccid hood is substantially completely disposed in the interior between the periphery of the open top and the closed bottom. The hood defines a top opening through which items can be placed into the interior. The hood can include a closure element manipulable to reduce a size of the top opening.

Additionally, at least one corner pocket assembly is in the interior of the body. The corner pocket assembly includes a first pocket wall having a first end attached to a first side wall of the body and a second pocket wall having a first end attached to a first end wall of the body. The first side wall of the body is attached to the first end wall of the body along a first corner edge of the body, while a second end of the first pocket wall is attached to a second end of the second pocket wall along a joint. The pocket assembly is movable between an extended configuration and a collapsed configuration. In the extended configuration, the first pocket wall is perpendicular to the first side wall of the body, the second pocket wall is perpendicular to the first end wall of the body and the joint is distanced from the first corner edge of the body by the pocket walls. On the other hand, in the collapsed configuration, the first pocket wall is flush against the first side wall of the body, the second pocket wall is flush against the first end wall of the body, and the joint is located along the first corner edge of the body.

In some examples, plural corner pocket assemblies are provided, with each being disposed adjacent a respective corner of the body. For example, four corner pocket assemblies can be provided, with each being disposed adjacent a respective corner of the body.

In some implementations, the closure element includes at least one drawstring disposed in a drawstring pouch circumscribing the top opening. In non-limiting examples, the body can include an inside liner juxtaposed with an outer shell. The inside liner may be made of thermally insulative material such as polyvinylchloride (PVC). In other embodiments the inside liner may be made of polyester such as 190 t polyester or 210 t polyester. The outer shell can be made of polyester such as 600 d (denier) polyester.

The hood likewise may be made of 190 t polyester, as can the drawstring.

In example embodiments, the flaccid hood is more flaccid than the body. If desired, a first handle strap can be attached to an outer surface of the first side wall of the body and a second handle strap can be attached to an outer surface of a second side wall of the body that is opposite to the first side wall of the body. Moreover, a webbing can be attached to the outer surface of the first side wall of the body and can define first and second edges merging with respective first and second end segments of the first handle strap. An external pocket is established between the webbing and the first side wall of the body.

In another aspect, an apparatus includes a body configurable to form a parallelepiped-shaped interior. The body has a closed bottom and an open top, and the open top defines a periphery. A flaccid hood is attached to the periphery of the open top and is extendable beyond the open top. The flaccid hood is also pushable into the interior such that the flaccid hood is substantially completely disposed in the interior between the periphery of the open top and the closed bottom. The hood defines a top opening through which items can be placed into the interior. The hood can include a closure element manipulable to reduce a size of the top opening. The body includes an inside liner juxtaposed with an outer shell, and the inside liner is made of thermally insulative material.

In another aspect, an apparatus includes a body configurable to form a parallelepiped-shaped interior. The body has a closed bottom and an open top, and the open top defines a periphery. At least one corner pocket assembly is in the interior. The corner pocket assembly includes a first pocket wall having a first end attached to a first side wall of the body and a second pocket wall having a first end attached to a first end wall of the body. The first side wall of the body is attached to the first end wall of the body along a first corner edge of the body, while a second end of the first pocket wall is attached to a second end of the second pocket wall along a joint. The pocket assembly is movable between an extended configuration, in which the first pocket wall is perpendicular to the first side wall of the body and the second pocket wall is perpendicular to the first end wall of the body and the joint is distanced from the first corner edge of the body by the pocket walls, and a collapsed configuration, in which the first pocket wall is flush against the first side wall of the body and the second pocket wall is flush against the first end wall of the body and the joint is located along the first corner edge of the body.

The details of the present application, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment in the open expanded configuration with the corner pockets in the retracted configuration;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment in the open expanded configuration with the corner pockets in the extended configuration;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first embodiment in the closed configuration with the drawstring cinched;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first embodiment in the closed configuration with the drawstring not cinched and folded in to expose the interior of the bag;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view illustrating a side webbing merging with one of the handle straps;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment in the open expanded configuration;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the second embodiment in the closed configuration;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view illustrating a cross-strap merging with one of the handle straps; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view as seen long the line 9-9 in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-5, in a first embodiment a container 10 has a body 12 defining an interior space 14. The body 12 may be made of a single piece of fabric but in the example shown, as more fully described below, is made of two or more plies of fabric including an inside liner and an outer shell. In some examples a third layer, e.g., of insulative material, may be disposed between the outer shell and inside liner.

The body 12 is somewhat flexible and can be configured in the parallelepiped shape shown. The body 12 has a closed bottom 16 and an open top 18, and the open top defines a periphery 20.

A flaccid hood 22 is attached, e.g., by sewing, to the periphery 20 of the open top 18, and is extendable beyond the open top (FIGS. 1 and 2). Alternatively, the hood may be removably attached to the periphery using a zipper, hook and loop fastener, or other non-sewn temporary connection. When the body 12 includes an interior liner as discussed further below, e.g., in reference to FIG. 9, the hood may be made integrally with the liner, and the liner affixed to the outer shell by sewing or removably placed in within the shell with temporary (e.g., hook and loop) or no connecting engagement at all between the liner and shell.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the hood 22 is also pushable into the interior space 14 such that the hood 22 is substantially completely disposed in the interior space 14 between the periphery 20 of the open top 18 and the closed bottom 16. The hood 22 defines a top opening 24 through which items can be placed into the interior space 14 of the body 12. The hood 22 can include a closure element such as a drawstring 26 extending throughout a drawstring pouch 28 circumscribing the top opening 24. The closure is manipulable to reduce the size of the top opening 24, e.g., by cinching the drawstring 26 tight and then sliding one or more cord locks 30 having a spring-loaded toggle along the drawstring 26 against the drawstring pouch 28. Note that in the example shown, the drawstring 26 includes two free ends that are not connected together, and indeed the drawstring may include multiple strings. In this way, no loop is formed at the end of the drawstring, which might otherwise pose a safety issue.

It may now be appreciated that the hood 22 serves to selectively increase the available volume of the container 10 for holding items above that which the body 12 itself provides. For example, the hood 22 can be extended and larger items such as loaves of bread can be placed in the container with their bottom portions in the body 12 and top portions extending into (and perhaps out of) the hood 22 with the drawstring cinched around them, while remaining protected by the hood 12. The closable hood also offers privacy, security, and protection from the weather vis-a-vis the items inside the body 12.

Additionally, at least one and as shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2 four corner pocket assemblies 32 are in the interior 14 of the body 12. Each corner pocket assembly 32 includes a preferably flat rectangular first pocket wall 34 having a first end 36 attached to a side wall 38 of the body 12, and a second preferably flat rectangular pocket wall 40 having a first end 42 attached to an end wall 44 of the body 12. The side wall 38 of the body 12 is attached to the end wall 44 of the body 12 along line that is parallel to a corner edge 46 of the body 12. Note that by “attached” is meant directly attached without being coupled via intervening walls, i.e., the first end 36 of the first pocket wall 34 is directly attached to the side wall 38 and the first end 42 of the second pocket wall 40 is directly attached to the end wall 44 of the body 12.

A second end 48 of the first pocket wall 34 is attached to a second end 50 of the second pocket wall 40 along a joint 52. The pocket assembly 32 is movable between an extended configuration (FIG. 2) and a collapsed configuration (FIG. 1). In the extended configuration, the first pocket wall 34 is perpendicular to the side wall 38 of the body 12, the second pocket wall 40 is perpendicular to the end wall 44 of the body 12, and the joint 52 is distanced from the corner edge 46 of the body 12 by the pocket walls 34, 40. In the extended configuration of FIG. 2, a corner pocket assembly, together with the portions of the side and end walls it is adjacent to, conveniently provides a parallelepiped-shaped corner pocket for holding items such as, e.g., bottles, with the remaining space in the interior 14 of the body 12 reserved for holding additional items. When the body 12 includes an interior liner and an outer shell as elsewhere discussed herein and shown in FIG. 9, the pocket assemblies can be attached to the interior liner and in implementations in which the interior liner is removable, are removable along with the interior liner from the outer shell.

As intimated above, some implementations may have only a single corner pocket assembly. Other embodiments may have four corner pocket assemblies. Other embodiments may have two and only two corner pocket assemblies. For example, some embodiments may have two and only two corner pocket assemblies that are diametrically opposed to each other, i.e., that are catty-corner to each other. Other embodiments may have three and only three pocket assemblies. Some embodiments may have two and only two corner pocket assemblies that are provided at adjacent corners of the body, i.e., that are not catty-corner to each other.

On the other hand, in the collapsed configuration (FIG. 1), the first pocket wall 34 is flush against the side wall 38 of the body 12, the second pocket wall 40 is flush against the end wall 44 of the body 12, and the joint 52 is located along and virtually against the corner edge 46 of the body 12. Each corner pocket assembly 32 is disposed adjacent a respective corner of the body 12 as shown. When all four corner pocket assemblies 32 are in the collapsed configuration, the volume of the interior space 14 is essentially a single large parallelepiped-shaped space.

In example embodiments, the hood 22 is more flaccid than the body 12. If desired, a first handle strap 54 can be attached to an outer surface 56 of a first side wall of the body 12 (FIGS. 1-4), and a second handle strap 58 (FIG. 5) can be attached to an outer surface 60 of a second side wall of the body that is opposite to the first side wall of the body as shown. Moreover, a webbing 62 can be attached to one the outer surface 60 of the second side wall of the body and can define first and second edges 64, 66 merging with respective first and second end segments 68, 70 of the first handle strap 54. An external pocket 72 is established between the webbing 62 and the side wall of the body 12, with items being disposable in the pocket 72 through an opening 74 between the webbing and body. A second webbing may be provided on the opposite side of the body if desired. The drawstring may be tucked into the pocket 72 when, e.g., it is cinched to close the hood.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate a second embodiment that is substantially identical in configuration and operation to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, with the following exceptions. The container 80 shown in FIGS. 6-8 has no corner pocket assemblies. The container 80 includes a body 82 that, like the body 12 in the first embodiment, is configurable to form a parallelepiped-shaped interior with a closed bottom and an open top. A hood 84 is attached to the periphery of the open top of the body according to principles discussed above. In the example of FIGS. 6-8 and as further detailed in FIG. 9 and described below, the body 82 can include an inside liner juxtaposed with an outer shell, and the inside liner can be made of thermally insulative material such as polyvinylchloride (PVC).

The container 80 may include a first handle strap 86 (FIGS. 6 and 7) attached (e.g., by sewing) to an outer surface 88 of a first side wall of the body 80 and a second handle strap 90 (FIG. 8) attached to an outer surface 92 of a second side wall of the body that is opposite to the first side wall of the body. A cross-strap 94 may be provided connecting a first end segment 96 of the first handle strap 86 to a second end segment 98 of the first handle strap 86, and a space 100 is established between the body 80 and the cross-strap 94 to facilitate gripping the cross-strap in addition to or in lieu of gripping the handle strap. The drawstring may be tucked through any of the straps when, e.g., it is cinched to close the hood.

As shown FIG. 9, in either embodiment herein the body can include an inside liner 900 juxtaposed with an outer shell 902 to form a two-ply sheet that makes up the body. The inside liner 900 may be made of thermally insulative material such as polyvinylchloride (PVC). In other embodiments the inside liner 900 may be made of polyester such as 190 t polyester or 210 t polyester. The outer shell 902 can be made of polyester such as 600 d (denier) polyester. The hoods set forth herein likewise may be made of 190 t polyester, as can the drawstring. As mentioned above, the liner can be affixed to the outer shell by sewing or it can be removably placed in within the shell with temporary (e.g., hook and loop) or no connecting engagement at all between the liner and shell.

While particular structures and techniques are herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present application is limited only by the claims.

Components included in one embodiment can be used in other embodiments in any appropriate combination. For example, any of the various components described herein and/or depicted in the Figures may be combined, interchanged or excluded from other embodiments.

“A system having at least one of A, B, and C” (likewise “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” and “a system having at least one of A, B, C”) includes systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a body configurable to form a parallelepiped-shaped interior, the body having a closed bottom and an open top, the open top defining a periphery; a flaccid hood attached to the periphery of the open top and extendable beyond the open top, the flaccid hood also being pushable into the interior such that the flaccid hood is substantially completely disposed in the interior between the periphery of the open top and the closed bottom, the hood defining a top opening through which items can be placed into the interior, the hood comprising a closure element manipulable to reduce a size of the top opening; and at least one corner pocket assembly in the interior, the corner pocket assembly comprising a first pocket wall having a first end attached to a first side wall of the body and a second pocket wall having a first end attached to a first end wall of the body, the first side wall of the body being attached to the first end wall of the body along a first corner edge of the body, a second end of the first pocket wall being attached to a second end of the second pocket wall along a joint, the pocket assembly being movable between an extended configuration, wherein the first pocket wall is perpendicular to the first side wall of the body and the second pocket wall is perpendicular to the first end wall of the body and the joint is distanced from the first corner edge of the body by the pocket walls, and a collapsed configuration, wherein the first pocket wall is flush against the first side wall of the body and the second pocket wall is flush against the first end wall of the body and the joint is located along the first corner edge of the body.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the closure element comprises at least one drawstring disposed in a drawstring pouch circumscribing the top opening.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising plural corner pocket assemblies each being disposed adjacent a respective corner of the body.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, comprising four corner pocket assemblies each being disposed adjacent a respective corner of the body.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body comprises an inside liner juxtaposed with an outer shell.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inside liner is made of thermally insulative material.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inside liner is made of polyvinylchloride (PVC).
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer shell is made of polyester.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flaccid hood is more flaccid than the body.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flaccid hood is made of polyester.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a first handle strap attached to an outer surface of the first side wall of the body and a second handle strap attached to an outer surface of a second side wall of the body, the second side wall of the body being opposite to the first side wall of the body.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a webbing on the outer surface of the first side wall of the body and defining first and second edges merging with respective first and second end segments of the first handle strap, an external pocket being established between the webbing and the first side wall of the body.
 13. An apparatus comprising: a body configurable to form a parallelepiped-shaped interior, the body having a closed bottom and an open top, the open top defining a periphery; and a flaccid hood attached to the periphery of the open top and extendable beyond the open top, the flaccid hood also being pushable into the interior such that the flaccid hood is substantially completely disposed in the interior between the periphery of the open top and the closed bottom, the hood defining a top opening through which items can be placed into the interior, the hood comprising a closure element manipulable to reduce a size of the top opening, the closure element comprising at least one drawstring disposed in a drawstring pouch circumscribing the top opening, wherein the body comprises an inside liner juxtaposed with an outer shell, the inside liner being made of thermally insulative material.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the inside liner is made of polyvinylchloride (PVC).
 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the flaccid hood is made of polyester.
 16. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a first handle strap attached to an outer surface of a first side wall of the body and a second handle strap attached to an outer surface of a second side wall of the body, the second side wall of the body being opposite to the first side wall of the body.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, comprising a cross-strap connecting a first end segment of the first handle strap to a second end segment of the first handle strap, a space being established between the body and the cross-strap.
 18. An apparatus comprising: a body configurable to form a parallelepiped-shaped interior, the body having a closed bottom and an open top, the open top defining a periphery; and at least one corner pocket assembly in the interior, the corner pocket assembly comprising a first pocket wall having a first end attached to a first side wall of the body and a second pocket wall having a first end attached to a first end wall of the body, the first side wall of the body being attached to the first end wall of the body along a first corner edge of the body, a second end of the first pocket wall being attached to a second end of the second pocket wall along a joint, the pocket assembly being movable between an extended configuration, wherein the first pocket wall is perpendicular to the first side wall of the body and the second pocket wall is perpendicular to the first end wall of the body and the joint is distanced from the first corner edge of the body by the pocket walls, and a collapsed configuration, wherein the first pocket wall is flush against the first side wall of the body and the second pocket wall is flush against the first end wall of the body and the joint is located along the first corner edge of the body.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18, comprising: a flaccid hood attached to the periphery of the open top and extendable beyond the open top, the flaccid hood also being pushable into the interior such that the flaccid hood is substantially completely disposed in the interior between the periphery of the open top and the closed bottom, the hood defining a top opening through which items can be placed into the interior, the hood comprising a closure element manipulable to reduce a size of the top opening.
 20. The apparatus of claim 18, comprising four corner pocket assemblies each being disposed adjacent a respective corner of the body. 